“The real problem is not why some pious, humble, believing people suffer, but why some do not.”
C.S. Lewis was, in my book, a very wise man. I was fishing through some quotes, and came across this one a few minutes ago and it really hit me that this quote makes me think of Simi Valley. Heck, it makes me think of the USA in general, but specifically the community I’m surrounded by.
The news on TV and on the interwebs wasn’t necessarily rife with information on the Kampala bombings on Sunday. In fact, Katie Couric spent a few minutes talking about it (and I mean, FEW) and then proceeded to do a special on…poker? COME ON! I realize that reporters and news personalities don’t usually get to pick what assignments they have to report on, but honestly. More than 70 people die, more injured, and all you can afford to spend on it is a few minutes of “oh how sad”?
Us in America don’t understand suffering. Ok, that’s a broad generalization that probably isn’t fair. There IS suffering, there is grief, pain, heartache, and unbelievable trials that people go through every day in this country. But when was the last time that you went to the grocery store, past the armed guards, just waiting for a IED to go off or a sniper to take you out as you cross an intersection? I’m guessing not very recently.
As a Christian living in the comforts of suburbia in California, I don’t know what it is like to truly suffer. I have had trials, have had hardships and grief, but I can not say with honestly that I have SUFFERED. I haven’t lost any family members to senseless acts of violence, I have not feared for my safety or that of my family’s when I go into a church service on any given day.
This isn’t intended to be a guilt trip, but more of a wake-up call. We have brothers and sisters living in terror, fear, and squalor around the world right now. We are 91% of the world’s richest people. What if we decided to sell all we own, sell our homes, live in a smaller space, live less comfortably, just so we know that our family across the ocean, across the border, would have a meal in their belly and clean water to drink in the morning?
How can we help?
Here are some resources:
